One of the leading digital newsrooms in Bangladesh, The Front Page (TFP), is celebrating its fifth anniversary, marking five years of innovation in social-first journalism, sustainable digital media business models and decentralised news infrastructure. What began as a small swipe-first experiment has evolved into a recognisable media brand for young, mobile-native audiences, reaching hundreds of thousands of followers and generating tens of millions of monthly views across platforms. From the outset, The Front Page treated news not just as content but as a mobile-first format designed for fast-moving timelines. Its editorial approach focuses on bite-sized visual explainers, fact-first and non-partisan framing, and disciplined verification, while its business model pioneered clearly marked GPI ad placements that protect editorial integrity. With a distributed contributor network across Bangladesh, TFP has amplified local perspectives and emerged as a trusted source of verified information during critical moments such as the July uprising and the July 2024 internet blackout, prioritising clarity and public responsibility amid widespread misinformation. Shah Md. Akib Majumder, Co-founder of The Front Page (TFP), said, “Our policy in a critical situation is to remain responsible, objective and transparent, and to always put facts first, even if it means being late in the distribution race. We believe accuracy and public trust matter more than speed, especially during moments of uncertainty.” Fasbeer Eskander, another Co-founder of The Front Page (TFP), added, “People do not just look for breaking headlines – they look for something they can trust and rely upon, something that brings clarity and helps them make an informed decision. Our job is to create factual awareness. Our job is not to predict the outcome, but rather to inform people in a relatable and simpler way using layman’s terms or references.” Beyond its consumer-facing platform, The Front Page is also building The Blank Page, a decentralised news infrastructure designed to enable vetted local creators across Bangladesh to produce journalism within a shared system of standards, tools and distribution. Read More Sustainable Rohingya Repatriation is Non-Negotiable: Disaster Management Secy Entering its sixth year, The Front Page plans to expand its decentralised contributor network, strengthen verification and safety protocols, scale bilingual Bangla–English content, and deepen partnerships around media literacy and digital safety. What began with a small core team has now grown into a group of more than 25 members, supported by contributors spread across Bangladesh.  The Front Page’s daily work is driven by a committed management team and a diverse set of editors, producers and storytellers, including (among others) Sumaiya Rahman, Imtiaz Wasif, Mohammad Nipun Afridi, Asefur Rahman, Saiyara Hossain and Maha Syeda, who have served the audience with consistency and care. By building a distributed contributor base instead of a single-city newsroom, TFP has been able to bring more local voices and on-ground perspectives into its coverage. During the July uprising and the July 2024 internet blackout, this decentralised structure allowed TFP to remain a key source of verified, real-time updates for young citizens. Amid confusion, competing narratives and limited access to information, the newsroom prioritised clarity, context and public responsibility, staying aligned with its fact-first principles. In parallel with growing The Front Page brand, the team has also been developing The Blank Page, a decentralised news infrastructure built for vetted local creators across Bangladesh. The system offers a unified editorial style guide, shared verification workflows, visual templates and access to TFP’s distribution channels.  Co-founder Fasbeer Eskander said, “The Front Page is the brand audiences see. The Blank Page is the infrastructure underneath, enabling trusted local creators, journalists and talents ton work within one coordinated ecosystem.”  He added that with the right technology and adaptability, The Blank Page can strengthen Bangladesh’s news sector through decentralised distribution, verified reporting tools and better systems for combating misinformation.

Disaster Management and Relief Secretary Md Mostafizur Rahman said that the ultimate return of the forcibly displaced Rohingyas to their homeland is essential, emphasising that there is 'no alternative' to ensuring their sustainable and dignified repatriation. He also underscored the necessity of continuing humanitarian assistance for the refugees while speaking as the chief guest at a conference on the Rohingya crisis, organized by The Commonwealth Journalists Association (CJA), with support from the office of the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC) and BRAC, yesterday. The secretary further said that more than 1.3 million Rohingyas are currently living in 33 camps across Ukhiya and Teknaf in Cox's Bazar.  Read More UK's ITV in Talks to Sell Broadcast Business to Sky Over the last eight years, local communities have been burdened by the presence of such a large number of displaced population, he said, adding that the Rohingya crisis is not only humanitarian; it is a matter of justice and global accountability.  He urged the international community to take effective measures to ensure the dignified return of the Rohingyas. At the day-long conference, Julhas Alam, Bureau Chief of the Associated Press (AP), presented the keynote paper on the Rohingya crisis.  Presided over by President Farida Parvin Chowdhury of the CJA Bangladesh Chapter, the event was also attended by Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner Mohammed Mizanur Rahman, Head of the Rohingya Cell at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Mohammad Kamruzzaman and local leaders.

British broadcaster ITV said Friday it was in preliminary talks to sell its television and streaming business to US-owned rival Sky for œ1.6 billion ($2.1 billion). It comes as ITV, which offers free-to-air and paid services, expects advertising revenue to decline about nine percent in the final three months of the year as businesses pause spending ahead of the UK government's annual budget in late November. Sky is owned by US media group Comcast and a deal with ITV would create a heavyweight in UK television and streaming. ITV, whose share price soared 15 percent on Friday's announcement, cautioned that "there can be no certainty as to the terms upon which any potential sale may be agreed or whether any transaction will take place". The sale would not include ITV Studios, the group's production arm. "The fact the media and entertainment arm has attracted a suitor, rather than Studios, is a surprise," noted Dan Coatsworth, head of markets at AJ Bell. "There was a lot of uncertainty over whether anyone would want to relieve ITV of this ball and chain, so to see interest from Sky is Christmas come early for management and shareholders." ITV on Thursday announced œ35 million in cost savings for the fourth-quarter as it flagged weak demand for advertising owing to an "uncertain" UK economic outlook.

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has approved licences for two new private satellite television channels -- Next TV and Live TV.   A ministry source claimed that the license for Next TV was given to 36 Media Limited on June 24, while the license for Live TV was given to Minerva Media Limited on July 14.  The questions have been raised as National Citizen Party (NCP) Coordinator Md Arifur Rahman Tuhin is the managing director of 36 Media Limited, located at Old Dhaka’s Gendaria, while Arifur Rahman, who was a former member of the National Citizen Committee, is the owner of Minerva Media Limited, located at Gulshan-1.   Arifur Rahman, who studied at the University of Dhaka, was part of the National Citizen Committee, but he didn't join the National Citizen Party. He was a former university correspondent of a national English daily newspaper.  Read More Rupert Murdoch Succession Agreed as Son Lachlan Gets Control On the other hand, Arifur Rahman Tuhin also worked as a Staff Correspondent at a national English daily newspaper.  Arifur Rahman told a local media outlet that there is still some paperwork to be done. Hopefully, we will be able to go on air next year. "I have investors who are going to invest in the TV channel," he further said while asked about the investment.  Apart from these two TV channels, the ministry also granted a license for an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) named 'Change TV Press', founded by journalist Amirul Momenin.  Currently, there are 50 approved private TV channels in the country. Thirty-six are broadcast fully, while 14 await transmission. Fifteen IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) licences are approved and more are pending review.

The family of media mogul Rupert Murdoch has reached a deal on control of the 94-year-old's empire after his death, ensuring no change in editorial direction at Fox News, the most popular network for US President Donald Trump. The arrangement, announced by News Corp and Fox Corp on Monday, will see Murdoch's eldest son Lachlan Murdoch shore up control of the family media empire which includes Fox News and the Wall Street Journal. What is involved in the deal and what had been the hold up?The deal resolves litigation after siblings had contested Murdoch's effort to install his son Lachlan, who shares his father's political orientation, as sole successor, breaking away from an agreement that involved control being divided among the four siblings. A Nevada court had blocked the 94-year-old's intention, paving the way for negotiations among the family. The new agreement establishes a trust to replace the Murdoch Family Trust that had included Lachlan and the three other Murdoch siblings. Under the agreement, Prudence MacLeod, Elisabeth Murdoch and James Murdoch will cease holdings in either media company in exchange for  cash based on equity sales. US media reported the value of the settlement would be $3.3 billion (€2.824 billion), to be split equally among the three siblings. Do Lachlan's siblings share his ideals?The eldest daughter of the Australian-born Murdoch, Prudence, has had little involvement in the family business, but James and Elisabeth are seen as more politically centrist. "New trusts will be established for the benefit of Lachlan Murdoch, Grace Murdoch and Chloe Murdoch," said a press release from Fox and News Corp, referring to Rupert's two younger daughters from his marriage to Wendi Deng Murdoch.  The Murdoch empire has transformed tabloid newspapers, particularly in the UK. Cable television and satellite broadcasting over the last few decades have also been shaped by the Murdoch empire while facing accusations of stoking populism across the English-speaking world. Brexit — the UK's departure from theEuropean Union — and the political rise of Donald Trump are credited, at least partly, to Murdoch and his media outlets. In recent years relations between Murdoch and Trump have become more frosty. Last month, Trump began legal proceedings against the Murdoch-owned Wall Street Journal over its reporting related to the US president's relationship with the disgraced New York City financier, Jeffrey Epstein.